Economy grows at strong 3.8 percent
WASHINGTON -- Economic activity expanded at an energetic 3.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter, providing vivid evidence of the economy's stamina even as it coped with the destructive forces of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Drought, disease cut peanut harvest
TIFTON, Ga. (AP) -- Hot, dry weather and a disease outbreak may have deprived peanut growers of the bumper crop they expected, but experts say they'll still have plenty of peanuts.

Dow rallies for 172-point gain
NEW YORK -- Stocks rallied sharply Friday, with the Dow gaining 172 points on better-than-expected gross domestic product growth last quarter despite the disruptions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The major indexes finished an erratic week higher.

Silver, blue and brown: Auto colors of the future
TROY, Mich. (AP) -- Only a handful of people know what new vehicles will look like in 2009. But automotive paint supplier PPG Industries Inc. already has a good idea what colors those vehicles will be.

U.S. moves to force China's hand on high-tech piracy
The United States asked global trade regulators Wednesday to force China to prove that it is cracking down on rampant piracy that is robbing American movie studios and high-tech companies of a significant amount of sales each year.

Wal-Mart memo blurs message on benefits
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which built its reputation -- and a virulent opposition -- on rock-bottom prices, has talked a lot lately about becoming a kinder, more responsible company.

Pieces falling in place for airlines merger
DALLAS -- With so many carriers struggling, there's a crying need for fewer airlines. The usual regulatory hurdles for mergers appear lower than ever. Investors eagerly await deals they can back.

Today In History
Today is Saturday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2005. There are 63 days left in the year. A reminder: Daylight-Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 a.m. local time. Clocks should be moved back one hour.

Go and Do
Haunted Hayride: Anastasia State Park dares everyone to ride through a thrill-filled forest Friday and Saturday night at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, one mile south of State Road 312 on A1A. The ticket counter is open from 7 to 9 p.m., cost $7. Call 461-2035.

Altrusa to hold fall market
A charitable/service organization for women will sponsor Spanish-styled outdoor market, "El Rastro," from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Llambias House, 31 St. Francis St.

Social Security Q & A
Q: In 2003, my husband died suddenly of a heart attack. Since then, I have been struggling to get my family back on its feet. With three school-age children, I could not get by without the Social Security survivors benefits we get each month. I was wondering if I were to go to work, would we stop getting Social Security benefits?

Florida SkyFest takes flight this weekend
Event organizers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are getting in gear for Florida SkyFest, an air show and display to be held Saturday and Sunday at Daytona Beach International Airport, 700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach. The gates will open at 8 a.m. and the show is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Call (386) 226-6157.

New on DVD: Psychologically thrilling 'dot the i' is disturbing yet satisfying
Take a classic love triangle tale (boy meets girl who is engaged to another boy), add the element of a psychological thriller, then turn it inside out until it looks more like a satire of our obsession with "reality" TV, and you'll have some sense of what "dot the i" is like. Without giving away too much of this intriguing film's killer twist ending, "dot" concerns the romance between Kit (Gael Garcia Bernal), an out-of-work actor who videotapes everything, and Carmen (Natalia Verbeke), who's about to marry Barnaby (James D'Arcy). Matthew Parkhill's film is at once cynical and romantic, morally disturbing and aesthetically satisfying. Rated R.

Life in a Nutshell: Bomb threats have nothing on birthing class
Is it a bad omen if your first birthing class is canceled by a bomb threat? Just asking. Just wondering. Don't think I'm one of those paranoid nut jobs who believes every little thing is a sign -- "So when the pigeon with the white feather flew north, that's how I figured the tornado would wreck the mobile home park."

Midnight highway: Concerts that might be worth the drive
The Graham Colton Band, named for the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, will play with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at 7:15 p.m. today at the Jacoby Symphony Hall in the Times-Union Center, 300 W. Water St., Jacksonville. The band's lyrics and melodies are often compared to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Oasis. Their music is a series of love and loss stories from the road. Call (877) 662-6731.

Movie is anything but 'Prime'
Theoretically, Ben Younger is trying to evoke a very specific, very personal slice of New York City -- his own multicultural, hip-hop-tinged version of a Woody Allen romantic comedy, just as "Boiler Room" was the writer-director's twentysomething, hotshot spin on "Wall Street" in 2000. "Prime" does have its moments of hilarity -- mostly courtesy of Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman's sly therapy-session banter -- but too often it feels like a self-indulgent travelogue, and it gets bogged down and repetitive. Thurman's 37-year-old divorcee becomes involved unexpectedly with an aspiring painter who's 14 years younger than her (Bryan Greenberg from HBO's "Unscripted"). He also happens to be the son of her therapist, which Streep plays as a broad Yiddishe mama stereotype. PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and for language.

Scary times in the Oldest City
The town that the History Channel called one of the most haunted cities in the United States has a plethora of Halloween events for the little ones, the scaredy cats and the thrill seekers. Compass divided a list of holiday festivities by their fright factor, and some ghostly hosts will offer bashes with both chilling and tame activities.

Albums from Gary Allan, Oscar G fill voids
From terrible pain often comes gripping art. Jackson Browne poured his hurt into "The Pretender" following his wife's suicide in the mid-'70s. Reba McEntire recorded the "For My Broken Heart" album in 1991 after members of her band died in a plane crash.

Spooky books for 'evil' children
Any parent of an upper elementary student or middle-schooler knows that Halloween isn't just for little kids anymore. Even if your big kid isn't trick-or-treating, he or she is likely to be in the Halloween spirit with scary movies, costume parties and haunted house visits.

Q & A
Q. We have had good luck with seeding out centipede. Now I want it in my back yard. I was told if I put out centipede seed and rye grass seed I will have a green winter lawn from the rye and then a green summer lawn from the centipede. Can I seed now?

Garden Hotline: Birds, wildlife benefit from cabbage palm
I remember from an aunt of mine that her first and most lasting impression of Florida was flying into the Jacksonville airport and seeing an abundance of sabal (cabbage) palm trees. While we often take our state tree for granted and are frequently abusive to it, others marvel at this tropical tree.

Goal: 'A magical forest' look
When Maryfrances and Joe Laurenzano purchased property on A Street, there was one thing they were emphatic about. They simply would not hear of the builder cleaning the property and destroying its natural old coastal forest look.

Briefs
Friends of Washington Oaks State Gardens and Maggie's Herbs of St. Augustine will sponsor Herbs in the Gardens today. The programs offered will be from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the park located at 6400 N. Oceanshore Blvd. (A1A), south of Marineland.

Dr. Donohue: Faulty immune system can cause hepatitis
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 50, and last year I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. I have been on medicine for it. After a few months of normal blood tests, my prednisone (one of my medications) was halved. Now I am being weaned off prednisone completely.

Grand jury indicts prominent GOP contributor
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- A coin dealer and major GOP donor at the center of a scandal in Ohio state government was charged Thursday with illegally funneling $45,400 in contributions to President Bush's re-election bid.

Suspense high in CIA leak investigation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Working against the clock, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald weighed criminal charges against two top presidential aides at the end of a two-year investigation that put the White House in a state of high suspense Thursday night.

Parks' body could lie in U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON -- Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate worked feverishly Thursday on bills that would allow civil rights icon Rosa Parks to be the first female to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.

Rosa Parks to lie in honor at Capitol
WASHINGTON -- In death, Rosa Parks is joining a select few, including presidents and war heroes, accorded a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda. It's the place where, six years ago, President Clinton and congressional leaders lauded the former seamstress for a simple act of defiance that changed the course of race relations.

Exxon employees given bogus flu shots at health fair
HOUSTON (AP) -- As many as 1,000 Exxon Mobil employees and 14 residents of a senior citizens home were injected with fake flu vaccine, authorities said Friday, and the owner of a home health care company was arrested.

New Orleans police officers fired
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Fifty-one members of the New Orleans Police Department -- 45 officers and six civilian employees -- were fired Friday for abandoning their posts before or after Hurricane Katrina.

Births to unmarried women set record in U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly 1.5 million babies, a record, were born to unmarried women in the United States last year, the government reported Friday. And it isn't just teenagers any more.

Go & Do
Creatures of the night: The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park will offer a not-so-scary alternative to neighborhood trick-or-treating, geared toward children ages two to 11. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 824-3337.

Hundreds line up for flu shots
Hundreds of local residents moved to the front of the line to get their flu shots early at outreach clinics this week provided by the St. Johns County Health Department.

Cheney aide indicted in CIA leak case
WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide was indicted Friday on charges of obstructing justice and perjury following a two-year investigation that revived the nation's bitter debate over the Bush administration's flawed rationale for going to war in Iraq.

Taser used to subdue student
A St. Johns County Sheriff's deputy used a taser on a Pedro Menendez High School student Thursday after he left the school and ran from police, officials said.

Man found guilty in hit-and-run
Frank Grossman said Friday that he wakes every morning with one thought, that of his only son, "left to die in a gutter -- alone, frightened and hurting."

Police Report: Jail Log
Man arrested for battery: A 43-year old St. Johns County man was arrested on aggravated battery charges Thursday morning, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Police Report: Alleged stalker charged in burglary
Domestic stalking arrest: A 44-year old St. Johns County man was arrested on charges of burglary to an occupied dwelling, domestic stalking and domestic assault Wednesday morning. According to a report filed by Deputy Paul Clark, he responded to an apartment in the 1200 block of Ponce Island Drive, in reference to a delayed burglary.

For the Record
New traffic signals will be installed on State Road 16 at Collins Avenue beginning Monday, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

Joseph John Fazio
Joseph John Fazio Jr., 48, of St. Augustine, died Oct. 26, 2005, at Shands University of Florida Hospital in Gainesville. Mr. Fazio was a native and lifelong resident of St. Augustine. Fazio was a sales associate at Wal-Mart and a member of the Holy Cross Church.

Edward T. Bowen
Edward T. Bowen, 85, of St. Augustine, died Oct. 27, 2007, at Moultrie Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Mr. Bowen was a native of Vineland, N.J., and had resided in St. Augustine for the past 14 years. Mr. Bowen was a Fireman/EMT and he served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and in the U.S. Army after the war. Bowen was a member of the St. Johns Golf Association.

Paul Karl Schmitz
Paul Karl Schmitz, 92, of St. Augustine, died Sept. 30, 2005, at Earl B. Hadlow Center in Jacksonville. Mr. Schmitz was a native of Remscheid, Germany, and had lived in St. Augustine for more than 50 years. Mr. Schmitz owned and operated a camera shop. He was of the Lutheran faith.

Elizabeth J. Carling
Eizabeth "Betty" J. Carling, 87, St. Augustine, died Oct. 27, 2005, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Gerald Gibson.

John Andrew Alancourt
John Andrew Alancourt, 59, of Elkton, died Oct. 26, 2006, at his home. Mr. Alancourt was a native of East Orange, N.J., and had resided in Elkton for the past 2 years. Mr. Alancourt was a control room operator for a New Jersey power company and he served his country in the U.S. Navy.

Dylan Alex Blake
Memorial Services for Dylan Alex Blake, who passed away on Oct. 7, 2005, will be held in the Gamble Rogers Middle School Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.1, 2005.

Darlene M. Sullivan
Darlene M. Sullivan, 75, of East Palatka, died Oct. 26, 2005, at Shands Hospital of Jacksonville following a brief illness. Mrs. Sullivan was a native of Hartington, Neb., and had resided in East Palatka for the past 42 years, coming from Welaka. Following retirement from Niesner's Department Store in Palatka, she worked at Storybook Cottage and also cared for children in her home. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Palatka.

Patricia Lucille Smith
Patricia Lucille Smith, 73, of St. Augustine, died Oct. 26, 2005, at Flagler Hospital. Mrs. Smith was a native of Dayton, Ohio, and had resided here for the past 16 years. Mrs. Smith was a store detective for retail stores.

Mabel Monahan Shilling
Born June 2, 1906 in Duluth, Minn., Mimi passed away peacefully on Oct. 24, 2005 at the Moultrie Creek Nursing Center in St. Augustine, Fla. She was preceded in death by her much loved husband, Martin, who died in 1963.

Letter:Prosecutions
costly, frivilous
Editor: The front page headline Sept. 28 makes me wonder how much the taxpayers are paying to prosecute this unfortunate case (Ilene Demeniuk). It would make an interesting article in The Record to determine how much it is costing the taxpayers. To anyone with half an ounce of common sense, the case involves a defendant with diminished mental capacities due to ill-advised consumption of alcohol along with mind-altering prescription medications and possible other mental deficiencies causing her to murder her children.

Trouble in Wal-Mart's America
Is Wal-Mart going wobbly? Over the past couple of weeks, America's largest company -- linchpin of the low-wage, no-benefit economy that is increasingly the norm in America -- has announced some surprising reversals of course. In speeches and interviews, Chief Executive H. Lee Scott unveiled four initiatives that he clearly hopes will polish the company's increasingly tarnished image.

Letter:Prosecutions
costly, frivilous
Editor: The front page headline Sept. 28 makes me wonder how much the taxpayers are paying to prosecute this unfortunate case (Ilene Demeniuk). It would make an interesting article in The Record to determine how much it is costing the taxpayers. To anyone with half an ounce of common sense, the case involves a defendant with diminished mental capacities due to ill-advised consumption of alcohol along with mind-altering prescription medications and possible other mental deficiencies causing her to murder her children.

Perspective: Rosa Parks and and her place in history
The death of Rosa Parks has reminded us of her place in history, as the black woman whose refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, in accordance with the Jim Crow laws of Alabama, became the spark that ignited the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Letter:Visitors say 'thanks'
Editor: On Oct. 14, about 10 a.m., we took the trolley ride from the Best Western at Castillo Drive to the shopping area.

Letter:Visitors say 'thanks'
Editor: On Oct. 14, about 10 a.m., we took the trolley ride from the Best Western at Castillo Drive to the shopping area.

Perspective: Around the nation
The gun lobby got its bill, the House last week following the Senate, approving legislation that would shield gun manufacturers and dealers from liability lawsuits. President Bush conveyed his eagerness to sign the measure, citing the need to "stem frivolous lawsuits." ...

Youth of lending a helping hand
Members of Christ Church (United Methodist Church) of St. Augustine will paint the inside of St. Francis House Saturday morning. The women's areas will be painted, new shower door installed and new curtains hung. Part of the men's area will be painted, as well the laundry and shower rooms.

Alaskan icon
A quiet miracle of faith is arriving in St. Augustine for one night only.

Fall conference at Community Bible Church
Tony Gould, Bible teacher and missionary with SIM (Serving in Mission) in South Africa, will be teaching at the Fall Bible Conference at Community Bible Church, this weekend."Real Life, Studies in the book of 1 John: testing the validity of our faith in Jesus,'' will be the theme of the weekend.

Family-oriented retreat set at St. Simons Island
"A Deeper Encounter With God," from I Corinthians 2:10 is the theme for this year's family oriented retreat at beautiful Epworth-By-The-Sea on St. Simons Island, Ga. Services begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 and end at noon Nov. 13.

Singles event at Anastasia Baptist
Comedy night with Kenn Kington, a nationally sought-after comedian and top author, will be one highlight next weekend, when Anastasia Baptist Church hosts a singles conference.

International Briefs
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, addressing concerns about an upcoming Vatican document that will address whether homosexuals should be ordained, said "witch hunts and gay bashing have no place in the church."

White Sox relish first title in 88 years
HOUSTON -- Wearing a wide, satisfied smile on a face flushed with pride, Ozzie Guillen stood off to the side by the third base line and simply watched his White Sox rejoice in the middle of the field.

Handicapping the Breeders' Cup
ELMONT, N.Y. -- After sifting through 101 horses in eight races with total purses of $15,755,000, I confess to some confusion. With at least 10 horses in each of the Breeders' Cup races, a betting menu that offers something for everyone and the potential for a life-altering score, confused or not, I am going to play.

Cocktail Party could be defensive feast
GAINESVILLE -- The Florida-Georgia game typically has some offensive flair, with the winner of the annual rivalry scoring at least 20 points 26 times in the last 29 years.

Golf: Singh misses second straight cut
PALM HARBOR -- Steve Lowery and Bo Van Pelt, two guys who didn't earn a dime the first few months of the season, played some of their best golf Friday at the Chrysler Championship on a tough day that sent Vijay Singh home early for the second straight week.

NHL: Penguins keep Thrashers on the skids
PITTSBURGH -- Mario Lemieux scored twice during a five-point night and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the reeling Atlanta Thrashers 7-5 on Thursday night and win for the first time this season.

Bowden: Maryland won't slip up on Florida State this time
TALLAHASSEE -- It may have been easy for Florida State to overlook Maryland last year. After all, the Terrapins had a losing record, an anemic offense and in 14 tries had never beaten the Seminoles, who came into that game with a lofty No. 5 ranking.

Bird flu drug shipments temporarily suspended in U.S.
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) -- Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Thursday it had temporarily suspended shipments of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu in the United States to ensure that enough treatments will be available for the regular influenza season.

Clash between Shiites, Sunnis leaves 15 dead near Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Sunni Arab militants killed 14 Shiite militiamen and a policeman Thursday in a clash southeast of Baghdad -- another sign of rising tensions among Iraq's rival ethnic and religious communities. The U.S. military reported three more American soldiers died in combat.